Tseng beats nerves to lead at home

Top-ranked Yani Tseng began her home event with a four-under 68 to join Ai Miyazato of Japan with a one-shot lead after the first round of the Taiwan Championship.

On a day when Scotland’s Catriona Matthew opened with a 70 to lie in a share of sixth, Tseng, who is Taiwanese, overcame early nerves in front of home fans to finish strongly and match Miyazato after the Japanese player started with four birdies over the front nine.

“I saw so many fans on the first hole and I was nervous. I asked my caddie, ‘what should I do?”’ said 22-year-old Tseng, who is vying to win her seventh tournament of the season. “I told myself to relax.”

The seventh-ranked Miyazato birdied the par-5 18th to rally from a bogey-4 at the 16th as gusting wind forced cautious play and low tee shots.

“I grew up in a windy place so I really like to play in this wind,” Miyazato said. “Today it wasn’t too bad with the wind, but still, just to make sure, I’m trying to hit the fairways, hit the greens, trying to play really simply out there.”

Anna Nordqvist of Sweden and American pair Jennifer Song and Morgan Pressel all opened with rounds of 69.